November 2017 Our Co-op on the Coast

Arena Market and Cafe / Coastal Organics Cooperative

A Message from Your General Manager

Hi everyone! I’m reeling at how fast this year has flown by! Fall is definitely here, and that means mushrooms, squash, cider and holiday fun! We’re ready to start taking orders for turkeys, hams, or most anything else we can get for you this holiday season! We’re stocking fresh herbs in the produce case, and pumpkin for pies. The local Apple supply is ramping up, too! Last week Member-Owner Erin Kirshner came and did our Fall window painting, and we think it looks fantastic! Point Arena got a new bread company last month, also! James McKenna, owner of Pelican Bread Company is starting up his wholesale bread business right here in downtown Point Arena. We’ll be offering a full selection of his CA sourced breads at your Co-op! With a little luck, they’re still warm on the shelf when you come looking for them. That’s fresh!

As we approach the end of our 8th year, with Thanksgiving a couple of weeks away, I personally just want say thank you to our whole community, especially our fantastic member-owners. Sometimes the perpetual startup grind that is the small business can be wearing on a guy, but I can honestly say that it makes my day when I see a kid that I’ve known since birth come in with his or her parents and we can chat like friends—because we are! Having the privilege of standing in the center of s small world has been a fantastic experience for me. So thanks for coming in, day after day, year after year. I’m happy to be the Captain of your Co-op!

See you at the co-op!
Mike Sakellaridis
General Manager

A Message from the Co-op Board President

You, the members of the co-op, sustain our operation in several ways.

One of which is your continued patronage. Last winter proved challenging as overall sales decline when the skies are dark and the rains come in. Yet, member purchases at the co-op grew slightly. The Board reinstated the 5% member discount to reward your loyalty to the co-op back in August. Since then, sales to members have remained strong.

So, thank you for patronizing your co-op, the best natural food store in the area.

Another area that the Board sought to make improvements deals with attracting more non-member sales. We asked “How can the co-op encourage more sales to visitors?” We undertook a renewed focus on cleanliness and product availability. In particular, we reviewed our offerings of prepared food to go. We intend to update our signage, both inside and outside the store. All things that make the store more attractive.

Ultimately, we need more shoppers. We have begun a campaign to offer discounts to people who stay at local hotels and rental accommodations. If we can get them in the door, perhaps they will come back during their stays. Initial results are encouraging.

If you have ideas for increasing sales to non-members, please write them down and put them into our suggestion box. Or talk with our General Manager, Mike. We will consider them and post responses in subsequent newsletters.

Employee Spotlight: Marty Diaz

Pre-Pay at Your Co-Opby Jacqueline Strock

Calling out to members. We are reaching out to our members to do a prepaid house charge which will help us to sustain during our slower winter months that are coming up. We are looking for members to bring in a check or cash for any amount they would like and add it their account as a house credit. After that, using your store credit for purchases couldn’t be simpler. When you check out, just tell the cashier your member number and say “house charge.” Your prepaid credit balance is adjusted automatically for each transaction. And you can shop even if you’ve forgotten your wallet. This is a great way to allow your kids to come get their snacks after school without having to send them with money and worry it will be lost.

We are asking if possible to avoid using your credit till the spring. This way it will be like a loan to the co-op to be able to make some needed improvements so we can better serve our members and the community at whole. One of our first desire is to replace the failing produce case. As a board member who loves fresh produce we know this is something many members and shoppers have commented on so we hear you and want to make it happen. This is just one way we have come up with to help the Co-op make these expensive changes and upgrades happen so we can all have a better community store to shop in. The Co-op is your store. We know many of you have done this before and we always appreciate the help of our members. If you can’t donate financially there are many volunteer opportunities at the Co-op stop in and ask Mike what you can do to help.

Remodel Projectby Ginny Wyatt

Your co-op needs a remodel. We have acquired the beautiful wooden bar from “The Record” building and would like to install and move both registers to the barista side of the market. This project will require the help of carpenters, cleaners, movers, and detail oriented stockers in order to reshape the store. We will also move and clean up the bulk area placing it in the front of the market. The plan is to join all the to-go foods into one area and open up the front of the store. Sheryl Swales has been tirelessly deep cleaning for months, and more cleaning will be needed as we transition. Mike Sakellaridis has been awaiting the move of the salad bar to the front of the market to combine with the soups and other warm to go offerings.

We need volunteers to make this happen. Volunteers to prep before and on the day we choose to do this. We will need help with stock & equipment movement, building, cleaning and reorganizing. That is our plan in progress. Please call Ginny Wyatt at 707-882-3248 if you have any questions, input, resources, and will be available to volunteer any time.

Membership Drive for New Signageby Ginny Wyatt

I am working with Nicole Ponsler and Erin Kirchner to design and create two new signs for our market. One for the front of store and a mural for the south facing wall. Any ideas and input are welcome. And most of all, we need funding to make this happen. Nicole and Erin bring a wealth of expertise and creative ideas for the creation of these two new pieces of advertising and signature works for our market. All input welcome. All donations can be given to Mike Sakellaridis at the store. Suggestions can go in the suggestion box.

Good Lovin' Bowl

One of the great things about a recipe like this is that you can easily adapt it to suit your palate and diet preference. Keep this recipe “as is” or make it vegetarian, vegan, or paleo, or spicy and wet and hot..... and it will be absolutely delicious! No matter what flavor Good Lovin’ Dip you choose, you will love it!

Start by getting the rice cooking. Next, put chicken in a shallow baking pan and puncture it with a fork to let the marinade seep in. Then slather with Good Lovin’ Dip. Put it in the oven set at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. It will come out juicy and perfect! Warm kidney beans in a small saucepan over medium heat being careful to stir them so they won’t stick and burn on the pan. The corn can be warmed also or eaten at room temperature. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.

To assemble, spoon half of the rice into each bowl, followed by warmed kidney beans. Layer the ingredients as you like. Or if you sprinkle them over the entire whole bowl, there will be a variety of flavors in every bite. To finish you can toss on some cheese and a generous portion of Good Lovin’ Dip!

Suggestion Box

by Kathryn McCabe

Can the posole be made without pork for those of us who don't eat pork?
I've spoken with the powers that be and unfortunately the recipe calls for both pork and chicken. Altering the recipe would not allow us to capture the full flavor that everyone has come to enjoy. Sorry to report at this time no adjustments can be made. Thank you for your thoughts and comments.

I have recently done some comparative price shopping in Gualala and the results are amazing. In some instances your co-op has comparable or better pricing than you can get in Gualala. The following are some examples of my shopping list. Co-op Gualala

Milk 1/2 gallon Organic $5.58 $5.99

Rice Pasta 16 oz Organic 4.83 4.89

Butter one pound Organic 9.23 9.49

Butter one pound Non Organic 5.95 6.39

Coconut Water Organic 16 oz 2.71 2.39 (11 oz)

Rice Organic Bulk per pound 2.01 4.99 (2lb)

Eggs Organic dozen 6.13 6.99-7.50

Eggs non organic dozen 2.99 2.89

We are priced a bit higher on the following items; however when you take into account your membership discount (especially Customer Appreciation discount which is the first Friday of the month and is 10%) the price of fuel and your valuable time our prices are definitely comparable.

Co-op Gualala

Corn tortillas (sliders) Organic $3.99 $3.29

Tomato Sauce Organic Box 15oz 2.68 1.75 (can)

Orange Juice 59 oz 7.51 7.29

Thanksgiving Coffee Beans 12.59 10.99

Obviously we are not priced lower on everything and these are just some examples.

THE GOOD NEWS:
NO NEED TO SHOP GUALALA
MAKE YOUR NEXT STOP
THE CO-OP

I will continue to do comparisons over the next couple of months. If you want me to compare any particular item just drop it in the suggestion box and I will do my best to check it out and let you know the results in the newsletter.